Burning the Candle at Both Ends!

Last night I "slid" out of the show. I hope you were not listening carefully since I slurred my words. No sooner were the cameras turned off that I turned to the staff in the studio and asked, "Did you hear me slur my words as I ended the show? The viewers will think I had a glass of wine in the last commercial break!"

Frankly, after two nights of three hours sleep each and very long days -- both promoting my new book My Turn at the Bully Pulpit (search) and doing our show -- I was exhausted. I managed to gather energy for the show until the last 30 seconds. If only I could have lasted another 30 seconds!

I have discovered that it is not easy to do both a book tour and a show. Let me give you an example of yesterday: I was up before six and started my workday with radio shows from my hotel room at 7 a.m. I continued to do radio shows until 11:30 with only two 10 minute breaks. Each radio show was about six minutes, so I was talking to DJs from all over the country. One second it would be Milwaukee and the next Los Angeles.

At 11:30, as soon as I hung up from my last radio show, I had to race across town to a book signing. I raced down the elevator and jumped in a car to head for the book signing. After the book signing, I raced back to the Fox Bureau in New York to tape a show with Pat Sajak. His interview of me will air on Sunday at 9 p.m. Then I raced to the "pod" where my staff was busy putting the show together. I tried to consume as much information as humanly possible so that I would be prepared for our show at 10 p.m. ET.

A short time later I was back in another car headed to another book signing. I arrived at the book signing, spoke for about a half hour, answered questions and then signed books. Incidentally, the readers in the bookstore asked tough questions. Then I jumped into the car, and raced back to the New York bureau.

I got to the bureau, raced back to the "pod" to gather all my research and to begin to cram into my head new information that FNC had learned since I left for the book signing.

I confess, I know my job is much easier than that of a police officer, a fireman, a soldier and a mother at home with children. But nonetheless, at 10:59:30, I ran out of steam. But, I came close -- I almost made it.